Training budgets cuts could help the rogue training industry to thrive

(22/06/2010)

The Government has recently announced that it is cutting training budgets for adult learners by 10 to 25 per cent, meaning that colleges may have to axe courses on subjects such as plumbing and building. The cuts are being made to plug a national £200 million funding hole, however, Richard Clarke, chairman of 1st Action plumbing believes these cuts will help the “rogue training” industry to thrive.

Clarke comments, “The plumbing industry is only going to suffer from these training cuts as it means that companies offering fast track courses for large sums of money will be able to prey more easily on those looking to get into the industry. What is a shame is that our industry is prone to cowboys and undertrained, unreliable plumbers and by preventing people getting into the industry the correct way through a college course or apprenticeship, is only going to make the problem worse. The learning and skills industry saw a significant rise throughout the recession with workers who have been made redundant signing up to learn a new trade or skill, so this news will come as a blow to many people.”

Summit-Skills, the sector skills council for the building and construction trade has reported a rise in unemployed people being encouraged into these kinds of courses by people looking to rip them off. The fast track courses promise to provide a City & Guilds NVQ qualification as well as guidance on being self-employed and starting your own business, but this is often far from the truth.

Clarke continues, “At a time when the country is struggling financially, it is never a good idea to limit the chances of getting people into work, especially if they have recently lost their job. The best way to get into the industry is to do on-the-job training with a reputable plumbing firm, supported by a college course, which is a process that can take four years. 1st Action receives around five to ten applications per day but many are a long way off becoming a plumber – you need a very strong work ethic and be willing to work very hard. 1st Action is always looking to support people into the plumbing industry as we want to ensure that everyone receives a reliable service from their plumber, and that “cowboys” or unqualified tradesman are eventually ostracized.”

1st Action’s advice to consumers is to always check for an ID card and ensure they are gas safe registered by looking out for this logo before you agree to a plumber doing any work for you.

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